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Caitlin Clark is yet to appear in a WNBA game but is already the most marketable name in the league as she gears up for her rookie season, and A’ja Wilson is imploring fans to use their wallets to prove they actually care about women’s basketball during what is poised to be a pivotal moment.
I don’t think it would be a stretch to suggest Caitlin Clark has been positioned as a savior with the potential to draw an unprecedented amount of attention to the WNBA.
You could argue that’s unfair when the league is already home to a number of stars who are just as (and even more) talented, but it’s impossible to deny none of them came close to generating the amount of hype she has since wrapping up her time at Iowa.
The biggest question surrounding Clark’s ascension is whether or not it will result in an influx of fans who give her WNBA career the kind of attention she received when she was a member of the Hawkeyes. The league is obviously hoping that will be the case (as are teams that have moved games against the Fever to larger arenas to accommodate the crowds they anticipate), but there’s no way to know what will actually transpire until the season kicks off.
Clark’s arrival also sparked the latest round of Discourse concerning the WNBA’s pay gap with the NBA, an issue that ultimately boils down to some incredibly basic economic realities—and one Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson bluntly stated fans have the chance to address during a “Time 100″ panel alongside Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.
The two-time MVP (and tw0-time WNBA champion) who was selected with the top overall pick in 2018 said she’s been thrilled by the number of people who’ve started paying attention to women’s basketball because of Clark but admitted she’s worried they might lose interest, saying:
“I hope this isn’t just a trend. I feel like we see it a lot with young athletes, like, ‘Oh my god. We love her. We want to do this.’ Then, the minute it kind of shifts, or her path is a little rocky, all that goes away. I feel like that’s when it’s needed most. That’s when it’s an investment…
“Continue to invest in it. Buy that jersey. Go to that game. Take someone else. Put your money where your mouth is and invest in these women.”
At the end of the day, talk is cheap, and if people are truly serious about supporting the WNBA, the league is going to be relying on tickets, merch sales, and television ratings to prove that’s the case.